49 People Charged in $18 Million Pill Mill Scheme
49 People Charged in $18 Million Pill Mill Scheme
Two doctors and five pharmacists among 49 arrested for writing prescriptions for opioids, knowing the drugs would be diverted to the streets for illicit use.
Forty nine defendants, including two doctors and five pharmacists, have been charged with participating in an $18 million pill mill scheme.
According to evidence presented at three different trials conducted in early 2021, Dr. Capistrano and his associate, Dr. Tameka Lachelle Noel, wrote prescriptions for hydrocodone, oxycodone, alprazolam, carisoprodol, zolpidem, phentermine, and promethazine with codeine, knowing the drugs would be diverted to the streets for illicit use.
Dr. Capistrano and Dr. Noel, assisted by clinic manager Shirley Ann Williams, used a network of recruiters to enlist individuals from the community and local homeless shelters to pose as “patients.” Recruiters paid each “patient” a small fee, usually $50 to $200 cash, to obtain controlled substance prescriptions from Dr. Capistrano and Dr. Noel.
The recruiters – who paid the clinic based in part on the amount of drugs prescribed – then filled the prescriptions at various complicit pill mill pharmacies and diverted the drugs for resale on the streets. The pharmacists charged the recruiters between $200 and $800 per prescription, filling hundreds and hundreds of prescriptions for a fee, according to evidence presented at trial.
At the clinic, many of the “patients” were seen not by the doctors, but by Ms. Williams, who possessed neither a medical license nor a DEA registration. After a perfunctory conversation with the “patient,” Ms. Williams allegedly coordinated with Dr. Capistrano and Dr. Noel to prescribe dangerous drugs without legitimate medical purpose. In order to make the prescriptions appear legitimate, the doctors occasionally included prescriptions for non-controlled substances, such as antibiotics and mineral ice.
Over a nine-year span, Dr. Capistrano issued prescriptions for more than 524,000 doses of hydrocodone, 430,000 doses of carisoprodol, 77,000 doses of alprazolam, and 2.07 million doses of promethazine with codeine. Over seven years, Dr. Noel issued prescriptions for more than 200,000 doses of hydrocodone, 55,000 doses of carisoprodol, 14,000 doses of alprazolam, and 450,000 doses of promethazine with codeine.
Often, the doctors prescribed multiple medications simultaneously and at the highest dosages available.
Medical professionals convicted in the scheme include three doctors, two clinical staff, five pharmacists, and four patient recruiters.
Where the Diversion Occurred:
Ethel’s Pharmacy
2451 Robinson Rd #200, Grand Prairie, TX 75051
Type of Healthcare Facility:
Pharmacy
Person Diverting:
Ethel Oyekunle-Bubu
Profession of the person diverting:
Pharmacist
Has the incident been reported?
e.g. to local law enforcement, county board of health, state licensure board, and/or federal DEA or FDA authorities?
Yes
To whom has the incident been reported?
Drug Enforcement Administration
